A Change In You
by Callie Noelle
Summary: a new pack of werewolves live in La Push. will history repeat itself? who are the new vampires causing the change? okay so i know it's not a great summary but it's the best i've got. please R
1. A New Someone

**AN: hey guys. this is my first twilight fic. it's really only loosly related, i was going to put it on fictionpress and i still might, but it has a few twilight characters thrown in there so i put it on here. it's from a werewolf's POV so it's not exactly the same.**

**Disclaimer: i don't own stephenie meyer's wonderful mythical creatures or her few characters used in this story.**

* * *

**Prologue- A New Someone**

He lay there on the bed, his body convulsing. Sweat dripped off his brow. His mother wasn't home. He felt alone. He shakily got up and ran outside. He took off into the cover of the nearby woods. The tremors rocking through his body made him fall. Emotions built up in him so powerfully that they took his breath away. Why was he angry? He didn't know. His entire frame shook violently. He clamped his eyes shut, wishing for death to come less painfully. This had to be death didn't it? His body continued shaking, always getting worse. He opened his eyes once more and instantly regretted it. When he looked down at his trembling body, he was repulsed and nearly vomited. What was torturing him so?

Suddenly, thick, gray fur exploded from his body. His mouth became a muzzle. His hands and feet became paws. Shreds of clothing fluttered to the ground where the huge, gray wolf now stood. He was terrified. His body had stopped convulsing. He was no longer shaking. But he was scared. He was terrified.

The wild instinct to run was overpowering. The huge, gray wolf, that was somehow a part of the boy, took off running to the North. He ran as fast as his four legs would carry him, speeding across the rough terrain of the Northwest. He ran from the fear that built up in him. He ran from the people, towns, houses, civilization. The pull of sinew and muscle drove him far away from his family. He was afraid. Of what his family might think. Of his love, April. Of the monster he'd become. He was terrified. But he couldn't leave them alone. He couldn't hurt April that way. He couldn't hurt his friends that way. He _couldn't_ hurt his mother that way. He knew he had to return.

The gray wolf slowed to a stop, still hidden under trees. He turned and headed home. He knew exactly how to get there too. He didn't know how. But he knew. He sped across the unusually moonlight-speckled, forest floor, racing to get home. He had to go home. But what would they do when they saw a huge, gray beast sauntering into town? They would run in fear. They wouldn't kill him though. The tribal law forbade it. But he had to think of something. Could he change back? He thought it was likely. Surely there was something human inside him. There had to be. But how could he find it?

The wolf reached the line of trees between his back yard and the dark forest. He wanted to go up to the house. He wanted to see his mother. He wanted to comfort her. But he restrained himself. He would just scare her. The boy that was somehow contained inside the beast was heartbroken. He pulled himself into the deeper cover of the trees and laid himself down on the muddy ground. He was no longer fearful for himself. He had given that up. He feared for his mother. She wouldn't take it well.

Slowly, he calmed his mind, focusing on the part of him, however small it may have been, that was still human. He worried. A human emotion only. He longed. Not only a human emotion. But he longed for human presence. He knew he was still human. Somehow he _knew_. He rubbed his face against his front leg. Only… it wasn't a leg. It was an arm. He felt smooth skin against his face. The moonlight that filtered through the trees, showed his smooth, russet skin. He touched his face with both hands, trying so hard to keep his excitement down. He was still scared that any emotion could trigger his rough transformation. He felt the wind whisk by and realized with great embarrassment that he wasn't clothed. He snuck quietly into the back door of his house and threw on a pair of sweats, trying to forget the monster inside of him.

* * *

**AN: how did you like it?? tell me all about it after you click that little purple "Review" button.**

**thanks, love.**


	2. A Legend

**AN: I'm glad you like the prologue enough to keep reading. thanks! it means a lot. read away, friends!**

**Disclaimer: i don't own steph's stuff.**

_Chapter One- A Legend_

* * *

"Hello, love." He said. She looked up from her book.

"Hey, Eli." She smiled. Her bright, white teeth contrasted with her deep, auburn skin. Her high cheekbones, and dark eyes made him fall in love all over again every time he saw her. He looked at her, his eyes saturated with love. He reached down to help her up. She put her small hand in his and got up off the porch floorboards. "Where are we going?" She asked him curiously.

"It's a surprise, April." He told her grinning. He led her to the passenger seat of his truck and opened the door for her. She climbed inside and he shut her door quickly, getting in on his side. "How's your day going?"

"Better now." She admitted. Having him with her always made things better. "So what kind of surprise is this?" She was more curious every second.

"Well…" He whispered, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He joked. He loved seeing the smile on her face. Her russet skin looked so beautiful with the jet-black hair that surrounded her face. He took her hand in his as he drove his silver truck down the gravely path. Finally he stopped at a sandy bank at the end of Quillayute Road.

"So…?" She wondered aloud.

"Let's go on a walk." He suggested. He stepped out of the truck and quickly opened her door for her. She stepped out and took his hand as they walked down the trail. His hands were blazing compared to hers. Maybe she was just cold.

He'd seemed different lately. Quiet. He'd lost some of the light in his warm eyes. And she knew there was something behind it all. Something he wasn't telling her. But on the bright side, he was still spending time with her. Maybe more than usual.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly.

"I don't really know." She admitted. She truly didn't know what he was keeping from her. She didn't even have a good guess.

He was worried. He had to show her that he wasn't a monster. He scrutinized her face. What was she really thinking? She must've noticed some difference. He touched his face with his free hand, feeling for anything unusual… like a muzzle or fur perhaps. He had to make it up to her. He couldn't show the beast inside him.

His pondering was interrupted when April gasped. He followed her gaze. She was looking at a quilt laid across the sandy ground, just at the edge of the Quillayute River. He loved her reaction. A beautiful, lovely smile spread across her face.

He led her to the quilt and sat down on it. She sat next to him, still in awe of the perfect situation. The wind blew by, stirring up the air and chilling her skin. Goosebumps rose on her arms and he wrapped his huge warm arms around her shoulders. She snuggled against his warm body. He was glad he had brought her to this place. His favorite place to sit and think.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Love you too, April," Eli replied, "Tell me something…" He paused, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course…" She hesitated, "…why?"

"Just checking." He said quietly. He didn't want her to be mad at him. He couldn't tell his secret. "What if… I had a secret? A secret that I can't tell anyone. Not even you… would you still trust me?"

"…Of course." She was hesitant.

"That's all I needed to hear." He said relieved. Suddenly his lips were on hers, her lips cold beneath his. Her fingers twisted in his hair, tangling the long black locks. He leaned over her letting her breath, and their lips were back together. His lips burned across hers like fire, his touch was warm as well. He held her close, hoping that she could forgive him for keeping this huge secret. He kissed her more urgently, wishing that nothing had changed, wishing that he hadn't become a monster.

She sat up and caught her breath. "I love you." He told her quietly. They both laid back on the quilt, looking at the canopy of trees above their heads, listening to the peaceful trickle of water in the nearby river. Though their surroundings were peaceful, he couldn't help but worry that somehow, something would go wrong. He didn't know how he could possibly keep his secret from April much longer.

* * *

"Eli… I can't do this anymore…" she paused, "I don't know what's gotten into you. You're not the person I fell in love with." She looked in the mirror as she tried to think of the right words to say. "God, that sounds cheesy." She complained out loud. A knock on her bedroom door brought her back to reality. "What?"

"It's me." Colin said from the other side of her door.

"Go away." She groaned. Her door opened against her wishes. "What do you want, Colin?" She asked frustrated.

"I was going to ask what was wrong, but I guess not…" He said quietly. Her heart softened. He was just trying to help. She loved her older brother – as much as he annoyed her – he was still her brother.

"I'm sorry Colin. I'm just frustrated. I'm really not in a good mood."

"What's going on?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"Eli." She stated bluntly. "He's keeping something from me and I really want to trust him… but it's hard. And he's acting different. I mean, it's a good different… he's treating me great… but almost too great. It makes me suspicious…" She trailed off, her eyes starting to water.

"You'll be fine, April" He took her in his strong, warm arms. "You still love him. And I can see that. I don't think you're ready to be away from him. April, he loves you." Colin reassured her.

She sighed, still wrapped tightly in his arms. "Thanks, Colin."

"Don't do something you'll regret April." He told her quietly. "And if he hurts you, so help me, April. I'll kick his worthless carcass into next week."

She laughed quietly. "Thanks." She said, disentangling herself from his arms, "I feel a little bit better already." She smiled slightly. "We'll see how things play out before you go kicking carcasses."

He laughed. "I wasn't joking, April. If he hurts you…" His face got dark, but he rethought what he was going to say. "No one messes with my baby sister." He pondered for a moment, "Well, except for me, of course." She smiled and shoved him playfully out the door.

"Get out of here, Colin" she said, still smiling. She was glad he had come to talk to her. She had needed a brother-sister moment.

* * *

"Get up, Eli." He heard from the other side of the door.

"Mmuh," he mumbled unintelligibly.

"Elijah! I need you to run some errands for me! Get up!" His mother yelled.

"I'm coming. Geez mom." He was tired. He had gone out the last three nights to run, always finding his way back into his human form. He hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks, though. He was too busy worrying. He swung his feed out of bed, picked a shirt up off the floor and pulled it on over his head. He pulled on a pair of ripped up jeans and opened his door. His mother stood looking up at him with her stern, dark eyes. "Where do you need me to go, mom?" He asked quietly, frustrated that she woke him up.

"Well, I'm going to Anne's house to help her with her daughter's wedding so I need you to run to the Thrift Way and get groceries for the week. And I also want you to go the shop in town and ask how much that quilt is that I've been looking at. And I have a list for that store as well." She walked into the kitchen, looking around for her lists. She finally found what she was looking for on the counter by the stove. The notebook page had two long lists on it. "Here's what we need from Thrift Way," She pointed to one list, "And this, is what I need from the little shop down the road," she said pointing to the other list.

"Mom, were you expecting me to get back today or next week? These lists are huge!" he asked, incredulous.

"Oh, you'll be fine Hun. Just be back for dinner." She told him in a motherly tone.

"Alright," he rolled his eyes, heading toward the door, "I'll talk to you later, Mom." He walked out the door and hopped into his silver '97 Ford F250 truck, grumbling something about having something better to do.

He turned on the radio, letting his annoyance go as he listened to the loud music. He was paying little attention to the pavement speeding underneath his wheels. The music, pounding through his truck, distracted him from the loud keening outside his truck.

Suddenly a screeching sound interrupted his thoughts. Then a grating of metal rattled his truck. His eyes darted to his left, barely having a chance to panic as he saw the much larger truck scarping into his. Glass popped and metal bent. The frame of the truck started twisting when he hit his head, knocking him out cold. Everything went black.

* * *

"Oh my God, are you okay?!" He heard a voice distantly. His head hurt when he tried to move it. He moaned in pain. He tried to move his limbs to somehow pull himself our to the heap of metal and glass, but to no avail. He tasted blood in his mouth and felt some dribbling out of his nose. He struggled to keep his eyes open, as unconsciousness tried to creep into his mind. He tried to move again, to pull himself from the cab, but his head ached terribly.

Finally he heard more shouting and cars stopping near the accident. He touched his left arm and noticed a few cuts and gashes from the window glass. Sticky, warm fluid oozed from the cuts. His left leg, held under something slightly warm, was searing from a possible broken bone. His muscle was bruised deeply. The left side of his torso ached when he took a breath. He might've had a broken rib. He fought to keep his eyes open as two men tried to get his crinkled door to budge.

"What are your parents' phone numbers?" One man asked.

Eli rambled off the first phone number he could think of, not wanting to worry his mother just yet. "323-4142" He said, trying not to trigger another headache, "just call and have him come here." He needed help. What these men didn't know, was that he was _supposed_ to be running a temperature of one-oh-eight. He could trust his best friend, Josiah, with his secret. He hoped.

Within minutes, Josiah Call was there, getting out of his yellow '55 Chevy truck. The men had finally gotten the door loose enough to pull it off of the silver heap. Josiah came up behind the men, "I'll take him guys." He said with assured authority. "Go ahead and start helping the others." The men backed away from Eli and did as Josiah had said.

Josiah pulled Eli out of the mess, looking at the scabs on his arms. The scabs were quickly turning to pink lines of new skin on Elijah's arms and legs. His seemingly broken leg had a large bruise on it, but the leg was in the right shape, bones all intact.

A boy behind Josiah looked at Eli in surprise, "You sure are luck, mister." He told Eli.

"You should be dead after a wreck like that." Josiah agreed.

It was then that he noticed where his car sat. A larger, gold truck was nearly on top of his truck, smashing the left side of it entirely. The gold truck had pushed the silver one across the right lane, causing a third car to rear-end the trucks. The three vehicles were twisted into a pretzel around the base of a large tree. One of Eli's hubcaps lay on the shoulder near a side mirror from one of the other vehicles.

The forest green, '97 Chevy Cavalier had a crunched hood and a deep dent in the driver's door. There were men helping the victim in that car already and Eli couldn't see the person's condition from where he sat. But the car looked terrible. The window glass was mostly gone from the windshield and the front windows.

The driver of the '99 Dodge Ram looked terrible. He'd not been taken from the truck yet. He had a definite broken nose. Blood ran out his nose and mouth, staining the nylon fabric of the airbag. The window glass had shattered and cut long, deep lines into his face. His wrist was contorted into some wrong shape, bet backward and twisted around. He was leaned back into the seat, unresponsive.

Eli looked back at Josiah, eyes wide in horror. What had he done? He'd caused some accident possibly killing two other people and somehow he came out unscathed. What was happening to him? What kind of sick, horrible monster what he? There were a few fading pink lines on his arms, but no other real damage. There was a sore spot on his leg where he'd thought it had broken. But he was otherwise perfectly fine. He felt guiltier than he ever had before.

"Let's get you home." Josiah said quietly, helping him off the ground and into his faded yellow truck. "Daniel, will you sit in the bed? I want to talk to Eli"

"Sure, sure." The boy said, hopping into the bed of the truck. Josiah shut his door and stated the truck with a thunderous rumble.

"You okay, Elijah?" Josiah asked, worried.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Eli said, still shaken by the wreck, "But… why am I fine? I mean… I should be… dead…" He gasped, still catching his breath.

"You… heal fast." Josiah searched for the right words to explain this, "All of you do. It helps when you're running a temperature that should kill you." He mused, "But… I don't really know how to tell you this… but you're not… human."

Eli heard that. He had tried so hard to keep his secret. How had someone found out? Did someone see him sneak out every other night? Was someone spying on him? And if someone had been watching him… why hadn't they said anything? Why didn't _everyone_ know? How did Joe – of all people – know about this? What did Josiah know about the monster that was somehow inside Elijah Whitewater? Eli looked over at Josiah, shocked. "But… how—"

"Do I know about this?" Joe finished his question, "My father was the same as you." Josiah paused, reminiscing. "Embry Call. Great man. Better werewolf."

That stopped Eli in his tracks. That explained everything. Josiah had told him the legends before… but he'd never believed them. He didn't even let that into the realm of possibilities. More and more of the legends made sense. He'd never thought that they would ever apply to his life… But now they did more than ever. "What?" Elijah's words were slow and careful.

"Eli, you're a werewolf." Josiah told him. "Your father and my father were in the last pack. Sam Uley, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Quil Ateara, Paul Whitewater, Jared Redbark, Leah and Seth Clearwater, Collin and Brady Moss. They were all werewolves. Good people, they were." Josiah was lost in thought. "I'd have never thought that there would be another pack, since the Cullens left."

"Oh…" Eli said quietly, "Now what…?"

Josiah shrugged, "You are what you are. You can't change it. Things are already set in motion. Hopefully there won't be too many more. Daniel will join you though…" Joe trailed off, looking into the rearview mirror at his young, thirteen-year-old brother. Regret burned in his eyes, as if it was his fault that his brother was going to be some mythical creature. "It's in his blood… He doesn't have a chance."

They sat through the rest of the ride in silence, each of them thinking through the fate of young Daniel. As scared as Eli was about the situation, he knew that he'd never wish the same fate on the young boy.

"Here we are." Josiah said as he pulled into Eli's driveway, "I'm going to come by and pick you up tomorrow morning around eleven. I want you to go talk to Sam. He's got a lot to discuss with you."

Eli nodded as he hopped out of the truck. "Alrighty."

"Don't worry your mother too much. You know how she overreacts." Joe cautioned him.

"Oh, I won't." Eli assured Josiah, "Thanks, Joe."

"No problem, Eli." Josiah told him.

* * *

**AN: so did you like it?? tell me about it? review review review! i'd love you forever. constructive criticism is welcome. flames are not. thanks, love.**

* * *


	3. A Warning

**AN: i'm glad you guys tolerate this enough to keep reading.**

**Disclaimer: i don't own it. kay? **

_Chapter 2 – A Warning_

* * *

Eli saw his mother's car in the driveway as Josiah pulled away. He fervently hoped that she hadn't heard about the wreck. She'd be all the more worried. He should be the one to tell her. He opened the front door casually, hoping not to alarm her.

"Eli?" He heard his mother from the other room. Her voice was worried. She knew.

"Mom?" He found her in the kitchen, clutching the counter top; the phone was on the floor. She must have dropped it. "Mom, what's wrong?" Eli rushed to her side as she exhaled loudly. She gasped air into her lungs, nearly hyperventilating. "Mom. Look. I'm okay. Everything's fine. Mom." He took her face in his big hands and looked her in the eyes, "Look." She was shaking. Eli took her into his arms as she sobbed in relief.

"I just… he called… and… you… and the truck… and I was… so worried…" She gasped out between sobs.

"Mom, I'm fine." Eli reassured her again and again. He held her until she stopped shaking and pulled her face away to look at his. Her eyes, still wet with tears, were angry.

"Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again, young man." She yelled. "When Embry called me to tell me that Josiah was going to get you at an accident scene, I almost had a heart attack!" She started to calm down again and Eli let her go.

"Mom, I'm—" _fine_ Eli was going to say. But the door burst open with a loud bang and April was standing in the doorway sobbing. Eli sprinted to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and stroked her hair as she sobbed into his chest. "April," He whispered softly, "I'm okay."

She clung to him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as she cried. "I was… and you… and… and… I thought… dead…" Her voice broke throughout her sobbing words. "I can't… without you…" She cried into his chest. He held her tight and rubbed her back gently.

"April." He whispered again, "April, look at me." He said as her eyes met his. "I'm going to be fine."

"I'm just… so… so glad… you're okay…" She said, her sobs quieting, though her voice was still thick with tears.

"I'm glad, you're glad." He whispered to her gently. He was fine on the outside, but on the inside he wasn't. He could've killed two people. He hated himself for that. Would they be okay? He hoped with all his might that the other two victims were all right.

April sighed with relief and let go of Eli's shirt. She wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry…" Eli whispered. "I'm sorry I worried you." He told both April and his mother. He was still worried though. He worried for the two, critically injured people he'd left behind. He worried about his meeting with Sam Uley, the tribal elder. He worried that his secret would leak out. And he worried about April. He hated himself for putting her through that kind of trauma.

He led April into his room, leaving the door open for his mother's sake. He wouldn't do anything that his mother didn't want him to do, but she thought he would. He sat on the edge of his mattress and April did the same. "Are you okay." He asked her carefully.

"I'm better now. It's easier knowing you're okay when you're here. With me." She said, as the last of her tears rolled over her eyelashes.

He brushed his hand across her cheek, wiping away the tears. "I'm here now." He said unnecessarily, "And I'll stay if you want me to."

"I'll always want you Eli." She told him confidently. "Eli, I love you. And I can't live without you. Don't take yourself away from me. Please." She nearly begged, tears started oozing from her eyes again.

"I'll stay, April. I promise. I don't think I can live without you either." He took her hand in his tightly. His lips brushed her forehead lightly as he held her tight to his chest. She was a part of him. He couldn't deny the fact. He loved her too much to keep a secret from her. He needed a way to protect her from himself. He couldn't think of anything, but he tried his hardest to love her with all his heart. He needed to love her. It was the only way to compensate for his being a monster.

* * *

"Elijah!" a voice called from outside his door. "Hurry up! I told Sam we'd be there at 11:30! We're going to be late!"

"Give me two seconds! God, Joe!" Eli threw on a pair of cut-off jeans and grabbed a shirt as he walked out the door. "Someone's impatient today." Eli added in a joking tone.

"Well, I'm already a bit annoyed. I had to talk to my dad about yesterday. I'm so sorry he called your mom. I guess she freaked out from what I hear." Josiah often apologized for things that were out of his control.

"She'll be fine." Eli said, his voice still thick with sleep. "Now April… that's another story. She might _still_ be in shock." He laughed lightly.

"Yeah." Josiah agreed as the two men walked out the door and into Joe's pickup truck. Eli was nervous. He was scared rather. Sam was a tribal Elder. He was _important_. And Sam knew Eli's secret. But Sam had the same secret years ago. Sam would help… he hoped. "You okay, Eli?" Joe asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just… nervous." Eli didn't want to say scared in front of his best friend. Guys didn't get scared. Or at least, they weren't supposed to.

"Don't worry too much. You're gonna give yourself a hemorrhage if you keep it up. Sam was just like you. He was even the first of his pack. He'll help a lot. Calm down." Josiah assured him.

"He was the first?" Eli wondered aloud, trying to distract himself from his nervousness.

"Yep." Josiah popped his lips on the 'p' as he spoke, "But ask him about it, not me. 'Cause I don't think I can help you much with his story. His is a complicated one."

"Complicated? How?" Eli questioned.

"I told you. Ask him, not me." Josiah said lightly, "Someone's impatient today." Eli shoved Josiah, laughing. The two men continued joking as they pulled into Sam Uley's gravel driveway. Eli's nerves were really getting to him as he hopped lithely out of the truck. Josiah and Elijah walked to the door of the quaint gray house. Joe raised his hand to knock once on the door. Eli's nerves had him nearly sweating when the door opened. The man standing there was in his fifties with long graying hair. His dark eyes glowed in recognition.

"Josiah! I knew you'd be late." Sam chuckled.

"It was Eli's fault." Joe replied, hugging his dear friend, Sam, "Oh, I'm sorry. Eli, this is Sam Uley."

"Um… hi." Eli said as Sam held out his hand to shake. Eli took it and Sam's eyes widened.

"Well then." Sam spoke, not sounding as surprised as he looked, "Someone's running a temperature." He chuckled. Eli laughed nervously with him as he withdrew his hand and followed Sam inside. The three men sat down around the kitchen table as a thin, beautiful, gray-haired woman rounded the corner from the hallway.

"Oh!" The woman said surprised, "Sam, I didn't know we were having guests. I'll make something for you all to eat."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I had mentioned it to you. This here is Elijah Whitewater. He's got a large appetite if you know what I mean." Sam told Emily, grinning. Her eyes widened.

"There's another pack?" She asked curiously. "But ever since the… Cullens left…"

"I'm not sure who's bringing this upon our boys, but it's not the Cullens this time." Sam said, obviously disgruntled by the unanswered questions he had.

"Do you think… Ian?" She worried for her teenage boy.

Sam shook his head, "I don't know, Em." His voice was sad.

"Alright. I'll go make something for you boys to eat." She said, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air.

"Thanks, love." Sam called after her, "Now, Eli. How long have you been a wolf boy?" The light was back in his eyes as he started asking Eli questions. Sam smiled.

"Oh… uh… a few weeks or so, I guess." Eli answered, unsure of how much he wanted to tell Sam.

"Oh come on. You know exactly what day you first changed. It's not something you're likely to forget. Now I know you're nervous, but you're going to have to get over that real quick. You're going to have to learn to be a leader until my boy Ian changes." Sam was one for telling it like it is. He wasn't going to sugarcoat anything.

"Okay. It was the night of May 7th. So it's been a month a three days." Eli said, suddenly braver. He couldn't believe he was being such a wimp in front of _Sam Uley!_ "I run every night or every other night."

"Yeah, you better get used to that. Is anyone suspicious, do you know?" Sam questioned.

"Um… I doubt my mom even knows, but April might be curious." Eli suddenly worried about what Sam would say about April, "But she probably isn't." He finished quickly.

"Ahh. April. Yes, about that situation. Do you know anything about my past?" Sam asked.

Eli shook his head. "Not really… just that it's… complicated."

Sam nodded, "It sure is. Well I guess I'll tell you. We've got time." So Sam told him the story. He told him about his first time changing, how he was so alone. He told him about Leah. He told him about her heartbreak. He told Eli about Emily. He told him about his guilt. He told Eli about Emily's scars. He told him about how dangerous werewolves could be. And finally he told him about the rest of the pack.

"What you're saying is… I… can't be… I can't be with April?" Eli asked shocked. He could feel himself getting angry. He tried hard to concentrate, to calm down. He shut his eyes, his hands curled into fists tightly. He thought he heard Sam or Joe talking to him, but he couldn't pick out separate words. He _loved_ April. Nothing could change that. Not even some freaky werewolf instinct. Nothing. How could Sam say that? Eli held his fists to his forehead and his shaking slowed.

"Eli, calm down." Joe's voice slurred through his anger-clouded mind. _Right, calm down. Okay. Calm thoughts…_ Eli focused on his more reasonable side, calming himself.

"Eli…" Sam said quietly, "I… No. You don't have to leave her. But you _do_ have to be careful. Know that you _can_ imprint. Know that you _could_ leave her, without consciously choosing. Know that the possibility is there." Sam warned.

"Ahh. I'm sorry." Eli apologized. "I didn't think this would get out of hand. I'm so sorry." Eli was embarrassed. He'd nearly lost control in front of the _master_ of control. He felt pathetic.

"No, don't be sorry. I know what it's like. You'll get the hang of things soon." Sam encouraged.

"Food's ready boys." Emily peeked her head in the room, smiling. The three men rushed into the kitchen to taste the delicious cuisine set out before them. They all got their fill of food and returned to the table. The men laughed over old stories from Sam as they ate their meal. Emily joined in on the laughter after she had cleaned up in the kitchen.

After the meal they continued to talk and tell old legends and stories. Eli noticed the look in Sam's eyes when he looked at Emily. He noticed the bond between the two. He hoped that was what he and April looked like. Maybe he had already imprinted on her. No, he would've noticed. But then… would he break her heart? He couldn't do it. He would fight so hard against that instinct. He wouldn't _ever_ stop loving April. Never. He vowed to himself.

"Well, I think we have to go soon. Eli, does your mom know where you are?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," Eli answered quickly, "She knows. She almost didn't let me come. She doesn't want me out of her sight. We probably _should_ go. She's got to be worried sick by now."

"Alrighty then. Let's get you home." Josiah replied.

"Thanks, Sam. For everything." Eli shook Sam's hand, "Oh, and thanks for the food, Emily. It was fantastic."

"You're quite welcome, Elijah." She said, smiling.

"Stay out of trouble Eli." Sam said, grinning at him.

"Oh, I will. But that reminds me… I need a new car…" Eli mused as Sam walked the boys to the door. The two men walked out the door and were nearly to the yellow truck when Sam spoke again.

"Eli, remember what I said… about… April." Sam was hesitant, hoping not to get an angry reaction from Elijah.

"I will. Thanks again."

"You're welcome, son." Sam replied.

Eli hopped into the passenger seat nimbly as Josiah started the truck. The engine growled loudly as it sputtered to life. "I need to get that fixed soon." Joe muttered.

"Hey, Joe?"

"Yeah." Josiah answered.

"Why do you think you never changed?" Eli finished his question.

"Eh… I don't know really." Josiah replied, wondering the same thing. "I'm thinking it's because the bloodsuckers came _after_ I was a teenager. I mean, I'm already aging."

"Ha. You make it sound like you're _old_. You're twenty, Joe. I'm actually willing to bet that you've still got time." Elijah said, not realizing what he said until the words were out of his mouth. "I mean… hopefully you don't. I don't think you want to be a mythical monster. I was just saying." Elijah revised.

"I don't know. I never thought about it that way. I might…" Josiah contemplated. "Either way it goes, I'll still be around. Just because you have a bunch of werewolf friends, doesn't mean you can get rid of me." Joe said, lightening the mood.

"Do you…" Eli started to ask a question, but changed his mind, "Never mind."

"What?" Josiah questioned.

"It's nothing." Eli muttered.

"No. It's not 'nothing.' It's something and it's bothering you. Tell me, Eli. What's wrong?" Josiah asked, determined.

"It's… April. Do you think I could really do that to her. Am I that much of a monster that I would break her heart without a second thought?" Eli worried aloud.

Both men were silent for what seemed like a lifetime to Elijah. "I… I don't know, Eli… You heard what Sam said. He loved Leah… but that changed. Look… I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. I haven't experienced it and from what Sam said… you can't do anything about it."

"It's just that… I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be some freaky mythical creature. I didn't know what this would bring. It's so… unfair." Eli complained.

Josiah sighed. "Life's not fair." He muttered the old saying as he pulled up to Elijah's small brown house. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Eli."

"All right. See ya." Eli responded as he walked through the door of his house. The time slipped by as he was on the constant edge of hysteria. His worry kept him there, nearly panicking. He took his shirt off, changed into a pair of cut-off sweats and slid out the back door. He dashed into the cover of the woods, took off the remaining clothes he had as he felt the tremors rock down his spine. His frame shook apart violently as he started running. He hardly felt the change as he ran. The large gray wolf sprinted away from his human problems and worries. He left it all behind him. Eli was gone in moments, running from everything he knew, knowing he would come back after he had calmed down.

**AN: thanks for reading. please review!**

**thanks, love.**

* * *


End file.
